


The Triple Decker Styrofoam Rainy Day Cure

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-05
Updated: 2012-04-05
Packaged: 2017-11-03 01:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/375749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You have the entire Milky Way in that paper bag?  Spencer might say that experimentally impossible.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Triple Decker Styrofoam Rainy Day Cure

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written in the Thicker than Water universe where the BAU are kids and teens.

“It’s raining.”

“I know that. Wanna know how I know? I know because this is the fifth time you’re telling me.”

“But I'm bored.” Ashley whined as she threw herself on the couch. “There's nothing to do cuz its raining. I can't ride my bike or do cartwheels or swing in my swing. This sucks.”

“There are things to do.” Emily looked up from Vanity Fair magazine. She almost smiled at the little girl’s evil pout but she knew she had to be the grownup in this situation. “You can go jump rope on the back porch.”

“Jumping rope is lame. I mean I do it with Tracy or Trisha cuz then they’ll play FBI Barbie with me. If I'm not getting FBI Barbie in the exchange I ain't jumping rope.” Ashley shook her head.

“I'm not.” The older girl gently corrected her.

“You're not what?”

“No, Ashley, its not I ain't jumping rope its I'm not jumping rope.”

“Oh. Well I'm not jumping rope.”

“Why don’t you play FBI Barbie then.” Emily suggested.

“I don’t have any Barbie dolls. The other girls do and I play with them. I do it under duress. I don’t know what that means really but Spencer says that’s what it is. I'm soooo bored.”

“Stop it; you are much too imaginative and inventive to be bored. There are so many books to read, toys to play with. I've watched you play sock ninja with Kitty like it’s the most adventurous game in the world. You are not bored.”

“Yes I am.” Ashley nodded.

Emily sighed. She put her magazine down and really looked at her. Ashley just looked back, her facial expression not changing. Emily was good but she wasn’t sure if she’d win a stare down with the seven year old.

“This is Washington, DC Ashley and it rains here. I know its summer and you want it to be sunny so you can have fun outside. But it’s not so you have to work a little harder on finding ways to have fun. You’ve got lots of things to do in here.”

“But I already finished my books and I even colored some. I played sock ninja too. I don’t want to keep doing all the same stuff.”

“Well its lunchtime so lets get some lunch and then we’ll think about what we’re gonna do with the afternoon. Do we have a deal?”

“OK.” She perked up when she heard lunch. Her stomach wasn’t growling yet but she could eat. Ashley could always eat. “Can I have a triple decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”

“What? Where have you had one of those before?”

“JJ made me one. Can you make me one, Emily?”

Normally she would say no but Ashley was already in an edgy mood. So she conceded on the sandwich to make the girl smile. They went into the kitchen together and Emily turned on the radio. It was always tuned to the oldies station…house rules said so. 

It was a completely non-offensive station. So were the pop stations, Penelope always said. Yes, but the pop stations drove Jason crazy. Emily and Ashley listened to Earth Wind and Fire as the little girl told her how to make the sandwich.

“You get three pieces of the buttery bread. Can you cut the crust off please?”

“I know how you like your bread, missy.” Emily playfully pinched her nose. She grabbed three slices of butter top wheat bread. She cut the crusts off, looking at Ashley for more directions.

“OK then you put peanut butter on the bottom piece of bread and on the top piece. After that you put jelly on both sides of the middle piece. I like the strawberry jam best.”

“I think I got it.”

She grabbed the peanut butter from the cabinet while Ashley grabbed the jam from the refrigerator. Handing it to Emily, she climbed back onto the stool to watch her make it.

“Lets keep it between us that you're eating this.” Emily said.

“Why?” Ashley asked.

“Well it’s not exactly very good for you.”

“That’s not true. Gideon only lets us eat healthy food. Wheat bread is much better than white bread. Peanuts are good for you too and strawberries are fruit. They're on that chart of foods we should eat everyday.”

“I'm not gonna let you talk to Morgan and JJ anymore.” Emily laughed.

“Why not?”

“Nevermind.” She shook her head as she put the sandwich on a paper plate. Handing it over to Ashley, she couldn’t help but smile at the little girl’s smile. “Do you want white milk or chocolate?”

“Ooh, chocolate please.”

“OK.”

Emily went over to the fridge and got the milk from the top shelf. Then she grabbed the chocolate syrup from the door. It was always better for her to make Ashley’s chocolate milk…she got a little happy with the syrup.

“Here you go.” She put the glass in front of the seven year old. “Now I should probably think of something for me to eat.”

“How come you don’t want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” Ashley asked with her mouth full.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Ashley.”

“Sorry.” She covered her mouth. Then she swallowed. “Whatcha gonna eat, Emily?”

“I'm not sure. I have a lot of things to choose from but I'm not really in the mood for everything.”

“Oh my God, that’s how I feel sometimes.”

“Are you enjoying your triple decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”

“Mmm hmm,” Ashley nodded.

Emily heard the front door opening as she was still making her lunch decision. Soon Jason was with them in the kitchen. He was carrying a big paper bag with handles. Earlier that morning he’d gone to the University library and then out to have the car inspected. She wasn’t sure when to expect him back. Now here he was.

“Hey girls.” Jason greeted them with a smile.

“Hey Jason.” Ashley was once again talking with her mouth full.

“Hey there.” Emily came around the island where Ashley was sitting and eating. She kissed Jason’s lips. “I wasn’t sure when to expect you back.”

They both looked at Ashley after they kissed. She had the typical look; half-horrified and half-grossed out. The couple was used to it. Ashley didn’t understand why they didn’t heed her warning about their faces getting stuck together. Three people told her that now so it had to be true.

“Well I stopped at the craft store on a detour but I still made good time. Hey Ashley, wanna guess what's in the bag?”

“I dunno.” She shrugged.

“It’s the perfect rainy day project. You wanna help me?”

“What is it?” 

“The solar system.” Jason replied.

“You have the entire Milky Way in that paper bag? Spencer might say that experimentally impossible.”

“Empirically impossible.” Jason said smiling. “And I don’t have the Milky Way in this bag so to speak. I have everything we need to make one and a book with some awesome pictures to help. But I don’t think I can do it alone so…”

“Sure I’ll help.” She smiled.

Emily smiled too. She loved how enthusiastic and happy Ashley was to do things with her new siblings. While she was still attached tightly to Emily’s hip, the newest member of the family was slowly finding something to do with everyone. She and Spencer were best buds. JJ taught her great things like Simon and Garfunkel and cartwheels. 

Penelope showed her all kinds of great magazines that had foreign places in them like Paris and Egypt. She also introduced her to Toy Story. She and Morgan raced and boxed a little; he even watched cartoons with her. She hadn't found a niche with Hotch yet but they’d stopped regarding each other with mutual suspicion so that was a good thing. And Jason was the perfect teacher. 

Like the other little ones before her, Ashley liked for Jason to teach her things. She was a really smart girl and he knew how to bring out the adventure in her. Real or imagined, Jason could make Ashley see things that were right in front of her or light years away. Emily loved that about him.

Finishing up her sandwich, Ashley threw the plate away and rinsed out her glass. Then she joined Jason at the table. Inside the bag he had one huge Styrofoam ball and nine smaller ones. There were sticks, paints, a stand, and a big picture book with awesome colored pictures of the individual planets and the whole solar system.

“I got the glow in the dark paint.” Jason said. “When we’re done you can put it on the bookshelf in your bedroom and see it glow at night.”

“Wow, really? Hey, maybe we can get some black construction paper and some of Penelope’s glitter to make some stars and stuff.”

“Great idea.” He smiled. “Which planet do you wanna paint first?”

“I wanna do the sun.”

“OK.”

“Hey kiddo, maybe you should go and change into some play clothes.” Emily suggested. “I have a feeling we’re gonna get paint everywhere.”

On their latest trip to Penelope’s new favorite secondhand store in Alexandria, Ashley found an awesome Smurfs tee shirt. It had Gargamel and Azrael on it and made her giggle. A steal at $3 Emily knew she had to buy it for her. She was sure the seven year old would not be pleased if it were suddenly paint splattered.

“Good idea, Emily.” Ashley hopped out of the chair. “I’ll be right back. Don’t start without me Jason.”

“I won't.” he replied as she ran out of the room. Then he stood up from the table. “I should probably get a cloth to cover the table with.”

Emily smiled as she watched him prepare for their afternoon project. He probably had no idea she was falling more in love with him by the second.

“You're a lifesaver.” She said.

“How so?” he looked at her as he spread an old blue sheet from the pantry cabinet across the table.

“Ashley was in bored kid purgatory and was about to take me into homicidal teenager hell. You saved us both.”

“I do what I can for those I love.”

“You're my hero, Jason Gideon.” Emily smiled.

“That statement made it all worth it.”

“You're also gonna make an awesome dad someday. Well, even if no one calls you that you're a pretty awesome dad right now.”

“I know she's antsy.” Jason replied. “I figured she’d be crawling out of her skin by the time the mid afternoon came around and the other kids probably won't be back until at least four o’clock. Plus this is the perfect way for us to do a little bonding. We need that.”

“I agree. I was thinking of lunch but since you're here now, maybe I’ll take a little nap and eat when I wake up. I'm not as hungry as Ashley was.”

“Isn't she always hungry?”

“Yes.” Emily nodded.

“I'm coming back in.” Ashley said from the den. “So if you're kissing, stop it.”

“No one’s kissing.” Jason said. “Get in here munchkin so we can paint.”

She came running in, this time Kitty was with her. It looked like the kitten was up from her afternoon nap. Jason pulled out the other chair and Kitty jumped right in to see what was happening on the table. Emily walked over, kissed the top of Jason’s head and then kissed the top of Ashley’s.

“Where ya going, Emily?” she asked.

“I'm gonna take a little nap while you and Jason work on your project. Don’t worry about me; just have fun.”

“I will.” Ashley grinned and opened up the jar of neon yellow paint. 

Jason was already making his way to the sink for two cups of water. Emily took it in for a moment and then headed up to her room. It had been a long morning trying to keep little Ashley entertained. She was going to need a rest to regain her strength. Maybe this evening, as a reward, Emily could get some entertainment in for herself.

***


End file.
